7 things you should never recycle

Whether we like it or not, people leave behind mountains of garbage every day. At the same time, everyone is happy if their waste is recycled instead of rotting in landfills for years.

"Unfortunately," Tom's Guide writes, "there are some things that can't be recycled, no matter how much you want them to be. And if you don't know what they are, you can cause problems for recycling machines or contaminate a shipment of perfectly recyclable materials. So it's a good idea to check what you're putting in the recycling center."

Here is a list of 7 things that cannot be recycled, as well as some recommendations on how you can use these items.

Pizza boxes

Cardboard is one of the easiest materials to recycle, and it may seem like your pizza box is recyclable. Unfortunately, if it is soaked with grease, it will most likely be considered contaminated and not accepted.

What can you do about it?

First, check the recycling rules in your area: you may be lucky and live in a place that accepts pizza boxes.

If not, you can tear the box open for partial recycling by removing the greasy side. Alternatively, if you have a home compost bin, you can compost the grease-soaked cardboard yourself instead of sending it to the landfill.

Paper plates, towels and napkins

Just like pizza boxes, paper plates, towels, and napkins are usually stained with food or grease, making them difficult to recycle. Fortunately, towels and napkins can be composted, which is a great way to keep them out of the landfill.

If paper plates are not coated with plastic, they can also be composted.

Tip: When purchasing paper plates for an event, look for compostable options and always have a travel coffee mug with you to avoid using takeout.

Bubble wrap and plastic bags

They're made of plastic, and plastic is recyclable, so adding them to the rest of the plastic to be collected outside is a no-brainer, right? Unfortunately, things are not so rosy.

Bubble wrap and plastic bags are made of very thin plastic - it gets tangled easily and can damage recycling machines. But if you're willing to put in a little effort, you can save this garbage from ending up in a landfill.

Some large grocery stores have containers for collecting such plastic, so ask about it. Also, if you have a lot of bubble wrap, post an ad for it on local buy and sell groups, free of charge, and someone moving into another house will probably thank you for it.

Expanded polystyrene

Expanded polystyrene, which is used to make packaging and containers for takeaway food, is a material that is very difficult to recycle. In most areas, it has to be thrown in the trash, but it's possible that recyclers in your area accept polystyrene, so check locally.

Tip: If possible, try to avoid buying products that come in such packaging or containers. There are companies that use cardboard and other alternative materials, and it is better to buy products from them.

Mirrors and tempered glass

We learned to recycle glass a long time ago. People have been handing in bottles for reuse and recycling long before they thought about recycling plastics and other items. However, not all glass items can be recycled.

The coating on mirrors that makes glass reflective makes it difficult to recycle. Therefore, broken mirrors will have to be sent to the trash, pre-packed in a bag or wrapped. However, intact mirrors can be donated to charity shops or distributed free of charge to local public organizations.

Tempered glass, window glass or glassware is different from ordinary glass and is not easily recycled. Accordingly, all of these items (if broken) will have to be thrown in the trash.

Hangers

Metal, plastic, or wooden hangers are usually not recyclable because they get tangled with other items and break equipment.

Wooden hangers are made from treated wood that cannot be recycled or incinerated. And plastic ones are usually made of mixed plastics and are not easy to recycle.

Stores can accept hangers for reuse. You can also try posting an ad in local groups - people are always in need of these things.

Hardcover books

Another surprising fact is that paper is very easy to recycle. However, hardcovers often contain other substances, and it can be difficult for recycling companies to separate them.

Removing the hardcover and simply recycling the paper pages is one way to solve the problem. But in general, you shouldn't send books for recycling unless they are in very bad condition.

Books are a great item to donate. Contact various public organizations, such as those for young people or the elderly. There is always someone who would love to dive into an old novel or a group that needs children's books.